While the temperature during Sunday’s “Trees, Bees & Weeds” omnibus lecture at the museum hovered in the 33˚C range, it’s interesting to note that this was not a record for June 19th. That was recorded back in 1915, over 100 years ago, when the mercury shot up to 35.6˚C — although, to be fair, the thermometer scales were probably marked in Fahrenheit back then. Whatever did the sweltering populous do without evil big biz and climate change deniers to vilify?
All three of Sunday’s speakers were excellent. First up was Robin Flockton who traced the evolution of the Canadian Forestry Corps from 1916, when 7,000 lumbermen were deployed to England, to 1918, when the force of Canadian fellers, sawyers, carters/haulers and enginemen, numbered over 20,000. In only three years, this group accomplished the amazing feat of transplanting the Canadian lumber industry to Europe. This freed up Britain’s merchant fleet for cargoes of munitions, explosives and other war materials. To give you an idea of the scale of this operation, the output of the Canadian Forestry Corps in 1918 alone topped 11.5 million tons of sawn lumber.
The afternoon’s second presenter was Dunvegan’s wild edibles expert, Peggi Calder. From the morel mushrooms and fiddleheads of early spring to the giant white puffballs of autumn, Peggi provided her audience with practical tips and techniques (and the occasional word of caution) on harvesting the little know victuals to be found along Glengarry’s roadsides and even our own back yards. Dandelions and chokecherries became jam. Tender leaves and shoots became salad fodder. And both the emerging top and bulbous root of the common cattail became a flour substitute. For me, the one great takeaway from the presentation was, when in doubt, fry it in butter, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and enjoy.
Next up was beekeeper, Stephen Burgess who once again reinforced the fact that ours is a continent of immigrants. We’re all from away — from First Nation aboriginals and European settlers to the honeybee that came over from the Old Country on the Jacques Cartier’s Grand Hermine or some other contemporary cruise ship. It turns out that the only bee that is native to this part of the world is the bumblebee. An excellent pollinator and a proficient stinger, unfortunately, the bumblebee is a lousy honey producer. That’s why European settlers, desperate for a sugar substitute, wired home and asked that the next HMS Amazon shipment include a few skeps of European honeybees. Made from straw or grasses, skeps resemble upside down baskets and were used by beekeepers for thousands of years.
Like his fellow presenters, Stephen was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaker. For me the highlight of his talk was his explanation of the problem facing modern beekeepers in agricultural areas. While he didn’t deny that neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed might have an impact, he explained that today’s vast swaths of self-pollinating crops deprive the honeybee of its traditional source of nectar. It would appear that with beekeeping, like real estate, it’s all about location… location… location. Which might help explain the rapid growth of urban beekeeping operations.
If there was a downside to the afternoon event it was the mildly disappointing turnout. By my count, there were only twenty-odd bums in the seats. Part of this might be as a result of heat-induced lethargy (although, to be fair, a stiff cross-breeze made it almost balmy in the Pavilion). Another factor could have been that it coincided with Father’s Day Sunday. If you missed it, you really missed out.
Where hammers meet steel
The heart of most early pioneer communities was the smithy… the darkened space where sulfurous smoke and roaring fires gave substance to the preacher’s vision of hell. The reality is that the blacksmith’s shop was dimly lit because he needed to see the colour of the heated steel. It told him when it was ready to be worked, and when it must be returned to the bed of coals.
The blacksmith was unique among tradesmen. He was the only one who fashioned his own tools. And this coming weekend you and your family will have a chance to step back into the world of blacksmithing, a game where little has changed (but the players) since man first learned to work with metal.
Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum will be hosting its first-ever Smith-In Blacksmith Festival from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day. Billed as a “gathering of blacksmiths”, smithies from near and far will be in Dunvegan to showcase their work and demonstrate their skills. Admission is $10 for adults ($5 for members of the museum and for youths over 12). Children under 12 are free. And don’t forget that the price of admission also covers the other museum exhibits and buildings.
And plan to stay the day. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site. The lunch menu includes chili and hot dogs. And the Star Inn will serve fresh-brewed, frosty-cold beer from Cassel Brewery starting at 11:00 AM on both days.
The festival will appeal to old and young alike. There will be games for children, including a blacksmith-themed activities and a horseshoe pit. And while they’re having fun outside, their parents can sit, relax in the schoolhouse and watch an educational video on the evolution of blacksmithing. So bring the whole family to watch hammers meet steel… while blacksmiths from far and wide use their skills to forge objects from steel and iron as if by magic.
By-laws back in the boonies
Believe it or not, North Glengarry does have a Property Standards bylaw… by-law # 42-2008, to be exact. But you’d be hard pressed to know it.
A summary on the Township’s web site reads: “Being a by-law to prescribe standards for the maintenance and occupancy of all property within the Township of North Glengarry.” And, over the course of 17 pages, the by-law describes a whole host of provisions that, if followed, would make our Township a much nicer place in which to live.
Let’s just take one of the articles as an example… article 4.
Every owner of a yard or vacant land shall ensure that the yard or vacant land is kept clean and free from,
(a) rubbish or other debris;
(b) objects or conditions that tend to create a health, fire or safety hazard;
(c) wrecked, dismantled, discarded or abandoned machinery, vehicles, trailers or boats, unless keeping such items is necessary for the operation of a business enterprise that is lawfully situated on the same property;
(d) noxious weeds as defined in the Weed Control Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5;
(e) dilapidated or collapsed structures, or structures that are partially constructed and not currently under construction;
(f) vermin; and
(g) dead, decayed or damaged trees.
How many properties up and down your road fail to meet these provisions… let alone the other provisions of By-law 42-2008? My guess is, at the very least, one. So where’s the problem. Why aren’t our fellow citizens abiding by the Property Standards By-law.
The answer is simple — article 37— whereby An Officer shall investigate potential violations of this By-Law ONLY upon receiving a complaint in writing or upon the instructions of the Township Council. In other words, unless you rat out your neighbour, nothing will get done. And that’s the beauty of Article 37. The Township knows that people are hesitant to lodge a complaint against their neighbour. They worry that he or she might retaliate. Ergo, with the stroke of a pen, the Township minimizes the number of complaints it has to deal with.
But imagine for a moment a Township where the By-law Enforcement Officer, or his delegate, is instructed to travel the all over the municipality looking for glaring infractions. And when he or she finds one, takes action… without a written complaint from a resident. The net result is no neighbour-on-neighbour feuds and a much nicer looking Township. Sounds like a win-win to me. But what about the cost of sending an officer out on patrol? Well, the by-law specifies FIVE entire pages of fines that could help offset costs. For example, the fine for “failure to keep yard or vacant land free of wrecked, dismantled, discarded or abandoned machinery, vehicles, trailers or boats” is $350.
While we’re on the topic of by-laws, let’s look at another one — 23‐2009 — a by-law of The Corporation of the Township of North Glengarry to prohibit or regulate certain noises and to prohibit and abate public nuisances.
The by-law defines “noise” as any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or any noise whatsoever which either annoys, disturbs or injures, endangers or detracts from the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of other persons within the limits of the municipality. We’re not talking about “necessary” noise like agricultural or construction machinery at appropriate times of the day. Or “transient” noise, like passing traffic, chainsaws or lawnmowers.
What’s driving many of our residents around the bend is the cacophony of unmuffled recreation vehicles: ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles. Incidentally, according to item 16 of the by-law, this type of noise is forbidden: The operation of any combustion engine or pneumatic device without effective exhaust or intake muffing device in good working order and in constant operation.
Nevertheless, aficionados of these unmuffled toys love going around and around for hours, their revving engines screaming like banshees… and the neighbours be damned. Why do they do this? Because they know they can. Call the police and you will be referred to the local by-law enforcement officer. Call the by-law enforcement number and the office will be closed. Why? Because these infractions tend to take place in the evening or on the weekend. By the time Monday rolls around and the by-law officer responds to your written complaint, the culprits are safely back in school; and butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth.
Here too we need a more realistic, real-world solution. I’m not suggesting these people give up their toys… just that they put real mufflers on them. Yes, they may lose a fraction of their engine’s performance. But isn’t that a small price to pay so that we can all live in peace (and quiet)? Both this issue, and the Property Standards fiasco, can be solved, but it will take courage and the political will to work for the betterment of the Township as a whole and not just an entrenched minority.
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